President Barack Obama jokingly praised Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's acting work in "Airplane" and opposite Bruce Lee in "Game of Death," saying, "We've got some great actors here." The president added of the other NBA legend on the dais, "Here's how great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was: In 1967, he had spent a year dominating college basketball, and the NCAA bans the dunk. They didn't say it was about Kareem, but it was about Kareem. When a sport changes its rules to make it harder just for you, you are really good."